‘FEUD: Bette and Joan’ Is Even More Meta Than You Think

I’m not the first person to point this out, and I certainly won’t be the last — there’s glaringly meta element to FEUD: Bette and Joan, FX’s ode to Hollywood’s past and current flaws. At its core, the Ryan Murphy-created series highlights the ageism and sexism of the industry, critically pointing to a studio system that raised and exploited its actresses during their youth, pitted them against each other, then threw them away the second they were seen as unprofitable. In a film and television world that rarely sees older women featured in its stories, let alone in its lead roles, similar stories still happen.

The series’ creators and stars have been frank about the similarities between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis’ stories and the current state of the creative industry. Jessica Lange, Susan Sarandon, and Catherine Zeta-Jones have all been clear about the ways they’ve feltHollywood’s sexist wrath as well as how badly that rejection hurts — an experience that the show explores and one that tormented its central characters. However, if you dive into Crawford and Davis’ film history on and off screen, it becomes clear that variations of this same story have been told through the duo for years. Here’s how these two women have been used to highlight the same rivalry and tell the same sad story of studio manipulation and lost potential for years.

‘Lady of the Night’ (1925)

Photo: Everett Collection

Crawford filmed her first movie under her birth name, Lucille LeSueur. Throughout FEUD, you’ll notice that Davis (played by Susan Sarandon) refuses to acknowledge the actress’ changed name. LeSueur was first noticed for her dancing in Detroit, which led to a brief theater run and ultimately culminated with the young dancer signing a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. What’s important about LeSueur’s start is that it established two themes in Crawford’s life: sex appeal and competition with other women. The actress came to Hollywood haunted by rumors of sex tapes, an accusation that was never proven accurate. In Lady of the Night, LeSueur played Norma Shearer’s body double, an actress she would later spend a decade competing with as Shearer aged and Crawford became the new “it girl.”

'Bad Sister' (1931)

Photo: Everett Collection

Six years after LeSueur / Crawford entered the world of silent film, Bette Davis made her film debut in a more modern talkie. Bad Sister would also establish a theme Davis would have to fight against throughout her entire career — her appearance. Davis was fussed over by hair and makeup and criticized by producers and directors because she didn’t have the look of a leading lady. From the beginning, Crawford and Davis were complete opposites. Crawford was the untrained but beautiful go-getter from Texas whose launch into success could be tied to her sex appeal, and Davis was the trained actress who was hindered by her looks. Arguably these first roles established Crawford as the star and Davis as the actress.

'Dangerous' (1935)

Photo: Everett Collection

This is the role that earned Davis her first Oscar win. Over the course of her career, Davis would secure a record-breaking 10 nominations, but she would only win the statue twice. In Dangerous, Davis plays a down-and-out actress who has an affair with a man, both of whom are married. The film was a typical forbidden love story for its time, but what makes it remarkable is Joyce’s (Davis) decision to sacrifice her personal life for her career. It was a decision Davis had to personally make several times, and like her character, she almost always chose her career.

'The Bride Wore Red' (1937)

Photo: Everett Collection

This probably isn’t a movie you want to see, but it is important for what it represented to Crawford. While Davis was riding her first career high, Crawford was labelled “Box Office Poison” in Harry Brandt’s infamous article. The Bride Wore Red certainly confirmed that drop as it was one of MGM’s biggest failures of the year. Crawford still wasn’t seen as a real actress, but she was no longer the “it girl.”

'Jezebel' (1938)

Photo: Everett Collection

As if to rub salt in the competitive wound, Davis earned her second and final Oscar the following year. Again, Davis played a strong-willed woman who was at least partially defined by social expectations as well as the men around her. In the film, Julie’s (Davis) arrogance and impulsiveness are what ultimately lead to her disastrous personal life.

'Mildred Pierce' (1945)

Photo: Everett Collection

This was Crawford’s only Oscar win as well as the first movie she made after leaving MGM for Warner Bros. However, it’s Crawford’s transition that’s more interesting than the plot of the film itself. Davis believed her career was suffering at Warner Bros. because of the sub-par roles they were giving her (aggravation over offered roles would continue throughout both actresses’ careers). Partially because she was a huge name and partially to spite Davis, Jack Warner brought Crawford onto his roster. From there, a sort of eco-system would emerge with Davis getting the top picks for roles in her age range and Crawford looking through the scripts Davis rejected. The director of Mildred Pierceoriginally wanted Davis for the role, but she passed. However, if she had known she was rejecting Oscar-worthy material, her decision would have likely been different. This was first project that started to build up the duo’s rivalry.

'The Star' (1952)

Photo: Everett Collection

Looking back on The Star stings, not because of Davis’ performance, but because of its subject matter. The drama follows an actress who struggles to accept her age and find roles worthy of her talent. Many scenes in the movie appear have similarities to FEUD, especially one moment when Maggie (Davis) breaks down over how old and pathetic she appears in a screen test. However, the most biting aspect of this film is that Davis allegedly based her disillusioned, youth-obsessed, and alcoholic character on Joan Crawford. Crawford never really responded to the film, and Davis was nominated for another Oscar because of it.

'What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?' (1962)

Photo: Everett Collection

This is the big one. If you’re watching FEUD, then you likely know all the general behind-the-scenes beats — Crawford approached Davis with this project during a time when they were both scrambling for decent parts. However, that’s also partially what this movie is about. The horror film follows two sisters, beloved actress Blanche (Crawford) and former child star Baby Jane (Davis). Now that they’re older, both women are trapped in their pasts, unable to work because of a studio system that doesn’t want them, but they’re fixated on their former fame and in need of money. That’s almost exactly the position Crawford and Davis were in when they pitched this project to Robert Aldrich, though Crawford wasn’t in a wheelchair.

'Hush … Hush, Sweet Charlotte' (1964)

Photo: Everett Collection

Two years after the overwhelming success of Baby Jane, Crawford and Davis were still without the parts the so desperately wanted. Aldrich’s career, however, was better than ever before. The director was brought in to work on another “psycho biddy” movie that was supposed to reunite the two stars, with Crawford playing the aggressor this time and Davis the victim. Plot-wise, the movie has next to no similarities to the duo’s stories, but the movie is often pointed to as another example of Crawford and Davis’ ongoing fight. Crawford quit the picture after working a week in Baton Rouge and four days in Hollywood, claiming illness. There have been rumblings that the only thing making Crawford ill was the possibility of Davis upstaging her again. Olivia de Havilland, Davis’ longtime friend who’s played by Catherine Zeta Jones in FEUD, was eventually hired to replace Crawford after the role was turned down by many actresses.

'Mommie Dearest' (1981)

Photo: Everett Collection

This cult classic came out after Crawford’s death, but it helped cement the way Crawford is largely remembered — not as a talented actress but as an image and sex-obsessed movie star. Crawford once said that Faye Dunaway was the only actress that had “what it takes” to be a true star, so it’s somewhat ironic Dunaway was chosen to lead this highly unflattering movie. Once again, Crawford was not seen as a serious actress but a biting caricature of stardom by an industry that was always happy to use her in whatever way possible.

'FEUD: Bette and Joan' (2017)

Photo: FX

Finally, we go full circle. Two women, who started their careers intensely judged by their sex appeal, who were groomed and used by a studio system that was only supportive as long as they were young and beautiful, who are best known not for their work but for their legends, and who struggled for roles worthy of their talent, are now being played by two actresses who can relate to many of these themes. There may not be any fighting between Lange and Sarandon, but these two talented actresses are part of only a handful of older women who haven’t been kicked out of Hollywood. Much like Crawford and Davis, they can understand each other’s personal struggles perhaps better than anyone else out there. History and Hollywood may be kinder now, but barely so.